Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing since 1989
-----
Brass/Copper Polishing in Old Temples
We are a social organization based in the Maharashtra state of India. recently we have taken up a restoration job for an old temple in a remote village. a major portion of the temple (including the idols) are of brass / copper. Due to paucity of funds we can ill afford to use expensive metal polish such as "Brasso"
⇦ this on
eBay
or
Amazon [affil links] . Can any one of you be kind enough to send us the chemical composition of such polishes so that we can be cost effective in this noble task ? You could also visit our website
www.indiablessings.com ⇩
which is for the religious minded people. with regards, sanjay
- Pune/Maharashtra/india
2000
Ed. update Nov. 2023: The above link is broken. Thankfully, the Internet Archive preserved a copy here 
Please consider a donation to The Internet Archive. Don't follow abandoned links, old URLs are sought out by hackers!
A. Ok this is an old post but if you still need the info, ketchup, normal household ketchup, can do it. The vinegar ⇦in bulk on eBay or Amazon [affil links] in it is what removes the tarnish - try that or just use straight vinegar. I hope it helps and that you see this.
Patrick Donahue- New Jersey
2003
A. Ketchup or vinegar & salt are indeed powerful brass & copper cleaners but dissolve some of the zinc, leaving the metal looking rather pink or salmon colored. They are ideal for reducing the labor element, but I would be careful about something so aggressive being used on antiquities.
If you can't afford to buy Brasso
⇦ this on
eBay
or
Amazon [affil links] you can search expired patents for the composition of brass polishes, and gain some insights from the SDS (Safety Data Sheet) -- just google "SDS Brasso".
Good luck!
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
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